Letters to the Editor: Tuesday, June 25, 2013

To the editor,These are some of my thoughts on the Affordable Care Act and how it may affect us, as citizens of Michigan. As this is unfolding, we will need to educate ourselves and make some decisions, where we can. Some parts of this will be out of our hands, and some parts will require us to make informed choices.

The Serenity Prayer advises us to accept what we can’t change, but to CHANGE WHAT WE CAN. And we do still have an opportunity to create some meaningful changes in cooperation with this new law. And how our state applies it.

For instance, individual states are deciding how abortions will be paid for. Are abortions healthcare? Should tax money be used? Federal money? Or state money? It looks like insurance exchanges WILL automatically include abortion coverage according to the terms of the ACA, unless states decide otherwise: the governors, the legislatures or the people.

According to a website that I have been looking at www.michigansvoice.com that is exactly the question before us, as Michigan citizens, this summer. It seems the time to think and decide is NOW, while we still have time to make an informed choice. An old-school, petition on paper, grassroots effort is underway to NOT have our tax money go toward abortion.

But our opportunity to make a difference is very time limited. The website explains it all better than I will, so please check it out, but essentially we have this summer to make the effort required to collect the necessary signatures. We are hoping that pastors, faith leaders and faith communities will educate themselves and join in this effort. Making the official county specific petitions available in their parishes.

Please don’t wait for your pastor to tell you about it or provide you one. There’s no time. You may need to bring this to his/her attention. Any individuals can secure petitions to circulate in their sphere of influence. They can be sent to you for free. I have gotten them sent to my home quickly after filling out a request on line. You can sign mine, or get your own.

I am reminded (and inspired) by the words of Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor. He said, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”

This is our chance. Not to just object or think to ourselves, “That’s a shame.” This is our opportunity to act. To take a position. To defend. To stand up. Please consider this decision, educate yourself, talk about it, obtain a petition, sign a petition, share a petition.

Mary Marsh GautzMorenci

Is your neighborhood prison going to remain safe?

To the editor,Here is a question for everyone. Is it OK for the state of Michigan to take approximately $400 to $500 per month out of your pay?

How did I come up with that dollar amount? Easy. First I make you pay 4 percent of your future retirement or current retiree pension, which works out to approximately $80 per paycheck or $160 per month, and that is if you don’t have any holidays or overtime.

I then take away $1.45 per hour times 80 hours by eliminating your job classification. This adds up to $232 per month.

I say that we all need to stick together, because it will affect all of us. Are you going to care as much about your job if you lose $400 per month of your income? Are you others who say “It doesn’t affect me” going to do those prison housing unit pickups, count and daily shakedowns of the housing unit, where most contraband, weapons and other things are found? Sound safe to you? Do you care if we are all safe?

Not to mention prisoner payroll, ordering for the units and everything else that comes with the RUO (resident unit officer) classification.

Everyone should write an email to the Civil Service Commission. Form letters are great, personal even better. All of this will be forwarded to the commission, as well as every newspaper right along with the request that I give up exactly what they are willing to give up. And a letter editor that I can find online.